In 2153, Shakespeare's works were among the examples of Earth literature provided to the Vissians. Vissian CaptainDrennik later quoted from Hamlet and expressed admiration for Macbeth. Before departing, Captain Jonathan Archer advised them to take their time in reading the plays. (ENT: "Cogenitor")

When the senior officers of the Enterprisetime traveled from 2368 to 19th centurySan Francisco they obtained a room at a local boarding house. Unable to pay the fees required them, Picard and his crew diverted the attention of the proprietress by convincing her that she should play a part in their touring production of Shakespeare's plays, specifically A Midsummer Night's Dream. (TNG: "Time's Arrow, Part II")

References

William Shakespeare and the Star Trek franchise have always been closely linked. Characters in the series quote the bard, episodes are titled after his works, and stories are adapted to fit the outer space locales. The following is a list of examples taken from the various series.

The title is a reference to Hamlet, Act II, Scene II: "the play's the thing wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king." The entire episode is around Shakespeare's works and themes, including the Karidian company performing both Hamlet and Macbeth on screen.

The title is from Romeo and Juliet, Act II, Scene II. Kirk makes additional reference while talking with a woman as he holds out a rose-like flower and says, "As the Earth poet Shakespeare wrote, 'That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet'."

Here the plot is lifted straight from The Taming of the Shrew with Kirk playing the part of Petruchio. Also, Captain Kirk's difficulty escaping Elaan's charms to fight a threatening Klingon warship echoes Antony and Cleopatra.

Kollos, in Spock's body, references The Tempest when Kollos sees Miranda Jones for the first time through humanoid eyes: "O brave new world, That has such creatures in't." Miranda replies with the play's next line, " 'Tis new to thee." Additionally, the character Miranda Jones would seem to be named after Prospero's daughter Miranda from the play.

Although the phrase itself has passed into the modern vernacular and may not have been intentionally taken from Shakespeare, it originates in The Winter's Tale (V.ii.112-133): "every wink of an eye some new grace will be born: our absence makes us unthrifty to our knowledge." A Voyager episode would later be called "Blink of an Eye", a commonly used variant.

Marta partially quotes Sonnet 18.1-4 to Garth of Izar and claims authorship. Garth is not fooled by Marta's attempt. Marta drops a beat and uses a modern translation of a line, "and summer's lease hath all too soon" instead of the original, "too short a date." Though her interpretation is correct, the missing beat causes the iambic pentameter of the sonnet to break. This disruption may be a reflection on the chaotic situations of the episode.

The Next Generation

Data recreates Shylock's court monologue from The Merchant of Venice, asking, "When you prick me do I not... leak?" The original line, in which a Jewish character tries to convince a group of Christians that Jews too are people, reads, "If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die?" (III.i.60-63).

Q misquotes As You Like It, saying "All the galaxy is a stage." Picard calls him on it. Later Picard states that he does view mankind as "one day becoming that" which Hamlet asserts of it in irony: "Oh I know Hamlet. And what he might say with irony, I say with conviction: What a piece of work is man! How noble in reason, how infinite in faculty, in form and moving how express and admirable, in action how like an angel, in apprehension how like a god!" (II.ii.304-308).

Later in the episode, declining Riker's offer to endow him with humanity, Data again references Hamlet, quoting "This above all: to thine own self be true," from Polonius' speech to Laertes in Act 1, Scene 3.

When it becomes clear that before Doctor Ira Graves died he must have programmed his own mind into Data's body, Picard, marvelling at the achievement, recites the last two lines from Shakespeare's Sonnet 18: "So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see, / So long lives this, and this gives life to thee."

While searching through Data's belongings, Bruce Maddox finds a book of Shakespeare's works, a gift from Captain Picard. Inside is a quote from Sonnet 29: "When in disgrace with fortune in men's eyes, / I all alone beweep my outcast state."

The episode begins with Data performing Act IV, Scene I of Henry V, unaware that Captain Picard is watching. After the captain applauds his performance, Data says that he is using Shakespeare's works as a way to study Humanity, specifically observing the title-role performances of Olivier, Branagh (whose adaptaion was still in theaters when the episode aired), Shapiro and Kullnark.

The role of Michael Williams was played, under heavy makeup, by Patrick Stewart, who, due to unabashed love of Shakespeare, had asked to appear as one of his characters.

Believing that Data is dead, Picard reads aloud from the android's copy of Shakespeare's works, quoting from Hamlet: "He was a man, take him for all in all, / I shall not look upon his like again" (I ii 187-188).

Picard recites a string of quotes from Shakespeare's sonnets and Othello as part of his facade.

Sonnet 147.1-2

Sonnet 141.1-4

Sonnet 18.1-2

Othello. V.ii.13–16.

It is interesting to note that Shakespeare's sonnets as a collective represent a ménage à trois that Shakespeare was believed to have been a part of (the young man, the dark lady, and the rival poet). Whether or not this information about the sonnets inspired the title of the episode, "Ménage à Troi," is unknown.

Trapped in the past (San Francisco in the 1880s), Captain Picard explains their seemingly odd behavior by explaining that they are practicing a performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream. They later rehearse Act II Scene i with Riker as Oberon, Data as Puck and Crusher as the First Fairy.

The title is taken from Polonius' advice in Hamlet, Scene I, Act III: "This above all: to thine own self be true, / And it must follow, as the night the day, / Thou canst not then be false to any man."

The episode opens with Data performing the final scene in the The Tempest as Prospero. Also, much of the plot is taken from The Tempest as well as character names.

An interesting note is that this is one of the series' final episodes and the use of the play is seen as an homage, since it is widely believed that The Tempest is Shakespeare's own farewell to the theater.

Deep Space Nine

The title is taken from The Tempest, Act II, Scene I. It actually goes "What's past is prologue." As prologue is something that comes before the body, the intention is that the past (specifically that of Kira Nerys) is the prologue for the series, as this was only its second episode.

The title is taken from Twelfth Night (III.iv.201), in which Olivia pleads with a man who is actually Viola in disguise: "I have said too much unto a heart of stone." In the episode, Odo is similarly trapped with a Founder pretending to be Kira and betrays his love for her only to learn he has been talking to an impostor all along.

While watching Damar's speech, Jack quotes Shakespeare twice: first a line from Henry IV, Part II: "Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown." then a line from Macbeth: "Methought I heard a voice cry 'Sleep no more! Damar does murder sleep."

Dr. Bashir uses the phrase "never say die" at one point, which catches Senator Cretak by surprise. When she asks what it means, Luther Sloan, who claims etymology is one of his hobbies, politely interrupts to explain that the line originates from Merchant of Venice and has passed into the vernacular as "an exhortation never to give up".

Kahless is quoted as saying "Great men do not seek power; they have power thrust upon them." This is a variation on a line from Shakespeare's Twelfth Night :"Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them." This parallel may explain Chang's claim that the Bard was originally written in Klingon.

The title is taken from Julius Caesar. The quote is "...and Caesar's spirit, ranging for revenge with Ate by his side comes hot from hell, shall in these confines with a monarchs voice Cry Havoc, and let slip the dogs of war, that this foul deed shall smell above the earth, with carrion men moaning for burial."

Languages:

Around Wikia's network

This version of the article has been subsequently revised. Besides normal editing, the reason(s) for revision may have been that this version contains factual inaccuracies, vandalism, or material not compatible with the Creative Commons License.This work may be protected by copyright. Please see 17 USC 108 for more information.